The Lord has been so good, providing multiple opportunities for Epic Life Church to share in Jesus’ call to minister among the broken, the poor, the hurting – and even to be intentional in the community among friends and neighbors.

We hosted a North Seattle block party – with over 400 people from the community throughout the day.  Businesses came with booths, a live musician played, kids jumped on bounce houses, a local news station filmed the day, and the Seattle Fire Department even came out to play with the kids.  The greatest success of the block party in my eyes has been seeing the continued business friendships that have developed as a result of the initial interaction for the block party.

We have been blessed to meet Chaesun, local grocery store owner, who has literally allowed God to use her work to bring a family back to Jesus through Epic Life Church.  She also gave us the go on a beautiful community mural project this fall – with the chance for us to partner with some neighborhood and sustainability organizations.  Nothing like art to cover a gray and dreary street like Aurora.

We have had other opportunities to meet business owners along the street – one whom we have been able to do some work projects for, and another who has allowed us to establish a Community Garden on the nearby property he manages.  The Aurora Community Garden has been a work in progress – but our hope for this coming year is for it to be a place where weekly barbeques, live music, house churches, and community gatherings can happen.  We hope that it will be a sustainable source of fruit and vegetables for our neighbors.

Our house churches have been busy doing amazing things in the city – like cleaning trash off the streets, visiting people in the motels who are down and out, spending time with the elderly and shut-ins, and serving each other within the Body of Christ.

We have had four ministry groups and two summer ‘interns’ visit us from around the country to serve and learn the vision and heart of Incarnational Ministry here at Epic Life Church.  The way these teams have encouraged and established us in the city is phenomenal.  We are so thankful.

As followers of Christ, we are called to love others and to serve them as brothers and sisters.  Without the partnership and support of our family and friends all across the country, we would not be able to do nearly as much as God has allowed us to.  My prayer is that every life that is touched by the ministry here would know the true hope that Jesus offers.  It is the best thing we can give.